More British and Romanian tourists, but less Hungarian

In January-July 2008, – compared with the same period of 2007 – the total number of international and domestic tourism nights decreased by 1% in public accommodation establishments.

 The number of international tourism
nights grew by 1%, however, the number of domestic tourism nights
fell by 2% compared with the same period a year ago. The revenue of
accommodation establishments grew by 2% at current prices.

In the first seven months of 2008, 1
952 thousand foreign guests spent 5 617 thousand nights in public
accommodation establishments. Out of the six major source countries,
fewer tourists arrived from Germany, Austria, the United States of
America and Italy, while there was a significant increase in case of
the United Kingdom and Romania. A considerable growth can be observed
in case of the Czech Republic, Poland, Norway and Russia, too.
Regarding tourism nights in ho tels, an increase can be observed in
the three and five star categories, while occupancy rates were
unchanged or diminished in case of all other categories.

In the observed period, public
accommodation establishments registered 2 320 thousand domestic
guests and 5 591 thousand domestic tourism nights, the number of
nights increased in the two, four and five star hotel categories;
thus hotels had a total increase of 2%. Boarding houses, which are
beloved by domestic guests and have a significant share in tourism
nights, reported 3% fewer tourism nights.

By travel purpose – in conformity
with seasonal trends – business travellers as well as conference
and congress visitors had a 32% overall share among tourists. 11% of
leisure travellers primarily sought for health tourism products. Most
guests booked individually, only 29% booked through travel agencies.
E-booking is strongly emerging among travellers (27%).

In the last seven months, hotels had an
average occupancy rate of 47%, within this spa hotels had 73% in
July, which was slightly less than in the same period a year ago.

The number of nights spent at Lake
Balaton decreased by 1%, while Budapest reported 2% more tourist
nights compared with the same period a year ago.

In January-July 2008, public
accommodation establishments had gross revenues of HUF 137 billion,
which reflect an increase of 2% at current prices. Accommodation
revenues were up by 3% and reached HUF 78 billion in the observed
period. The gross average room rate was HUF 14 932, a nearly
sevenfold difference was registered between one and five star room
rates. The revenue per available room in hotels (REVPAR) was HUF 7
058, however a major difference can be seen here also, because five
star hotels enforced nearly twelve-fold rates compared with one star
hotels. In January-July, the accommodation and catering price index
was up by 7% compared with the previous year.

In the first seven months of 2008, on
the basis of data provided by the Hungarian National Holiday Foundation, the different service
providers had revenues of HUF 16 141 million through exchanging
holiday vouchers. Within this, public accommodation establishments
had HUF 9 940 million, thus the exchanged vouchers had a share of 7%
in total revenues.

On 31 July 2008, 2 857 public
accommodation establishments were registered including 863 hotels
with 50 thousand rooms, 1 103 boarding houses with 15 thousand rooms
and 891 other accommodation establishments (tourist and youth
hostels, holiday houses, camping sites). In July 2008, the number of
the available bed places in public accommodation establishments was
down by 7 percent on the same period a year ago. In July,
accommodation establishments operating in several branches employed
33 thousand persons.